Moorings in River Medway and Swale

This area covers the tidal River Medway from its mouth at Sheerness up to Allington Lock near Maidstone, and the Swale, the tidal channel that separates the Isle of Sheppey from the Kent mainland. Medway Ports, part of Peel Ports, is the harbour authority for both, and Medway VTS handles shipping on the river. The lower Medway is a busy commercial waterway, with sheltered anchorages in Stangate and Sharfleet creeks where small craft can lie afloat at all states of the tide, boatyards at Otterham Creek and Mariners Farm and a yacht club at Lower Halstow.

Most moorings in the Medway and Swale are found around the Medway towns. Gillingham Marina has a locked basin reached for several hours either side of high water, and Medway Pier Marina next to Gillingham Pier has drying berths. Across the river, Hoo has a marina and several boatyards and clubs along Vicarage Lane, and Lower Upnor has a sailing club. Chatham Maritime Marina, in the old dockyard, is entered through a lock with traffic signals and offers pontoon berths.

Rochester Bridge blocks masted boats, so the reaches above it suit motor boats and yachts with lowered masts. Medway Bridge Marina at Borstal has a long pontoon with all-tide access, Port Medway Marina and Cuxton Marina sit at Cuxton, and Elmhaven Marina is at Halling. Allington Lock, run by the Environment Agency, marks the tidal limit and gives access to the non-tidal Medway Navigation.

Queenborough, at the western entrance to the Swale, is run by the Queenborough Harbour Trust, a not for profit body that took over from the council in 2012. It offers swinging and fore and aft moorings, with a seasonal trot boat running to an all-tide landing pontoon. Further east, beyond the lifting Kingsferry Bridge, Conyer Creek has Swale Marina and Conyer Creek Marina, both of which dry. Faversham and Oare creeks dry out completely and suit boats that can take the ground, with Iron Wharf Boatyard at Faversham, Youngboats at Oare offering drying moorings, and the traditional boatyard at Hollowshore where the two creeks meet.